Chandeliers, powerpoint and fish that glow in the dark
by Paul Miller
Some of the science presentations have been mindblowing. People have been telling us how far they've got in developing (among other things) cures for cancer, tiny microphones that can be scattered like dust, devices for connecting nerves to computer chips and a nose spray that could stop you from getting the flu. It's enough to make your brain hurt and sometimes your eyes ' I reckon some of the speakers were secretly running a competition for how much information you could fit on a single powerpoint slide.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the level of awareness and commitment to addresssing the social implications of these new technologies. Most speakers seemed to realise that technology is always a double edged sword and some gave really thoughtful presentations about how to create the level of communication and collaboration necessary to steer the trajectory of technological development towards more sustainable ends. Stangely the most techno determinist and techno optimistic speech came not from a scientist but from a representative of the UNDP.
I got the feeling that there was a split in the delegates though: those there to keep up to date with the latest developments in th escience and those more interested in the 'softer' social stuff. I spoke to one who admitted as much - each time a speaker stepped up to the podium saying 'I'm not a scientist but...' she promptly set to on her crossword.
And then I remembered I was European. Up went a slide of GloFish (tm) a recent addition to the stock list of petshops in the US. It's a tropical fish genetically modified to glow in the dark so, you know, you can see them when the lights in your living room are off. Now why didn't I think of that?